Relying on a Memory
by The Muffinator 3
Summary: A teenage girl gets thrown into the world of her favorite movie. If only she could remember the movie. That would really help.
1. Maria

**Yay! My first Cars fanfic! I'm kind of embarrassed...I sorta based the main character after myself.**

**Chapter 1: Maria**

"Urgh..." I moaned as I slowly regained consciousness. "Where am I?"

I felt completely disoriented. I didn't even feel like myself. Then, finally, my memory flooded back to me.

I am Maria Nightingale, but I'm not just your average teenage girl. It's kind of hard to describe. Not exactly the easiest thing to explain either. Whenever I walk past a car or a truck or something, I would always hear...a voice. I've never told anyone. No one would believe me. My father is a technician. He would usually service or fix the cars that my family owns. The cars that have fallen into the possession of my parents included two Mercedes, two BMW's and a Mazda Miata. Hmm...that reminds me of my favorite movie. Aagh, what was it?

I'm rambling, aren't I? My past doesn't matter. I can't remember how I got here. Which reminds me.

Where is here?

I was staring at a door. An...interesting door. It was quite wide. And quite short. It looked like...a garage door? I glanced around the space I was in. I appeared to be in a circular room. There seemed to be something in this room that quietly screamed "traffic cone" at me. I don't know why. There was a picture of the Eiffel Tower in the room which was...more cone-shaped in a...cone-y frame...

I think I get it now.

On an impulse I looked frantically around the room for something. Just something I _remembered_.

Wait, that can't be--

"AAH!"I screamed. An alarm clock suddenly went off. It scared the heck out of me. On a sort of table-thing sat the clock. It was a cuckoo clock. Except it didn't have a bird in it...

In the place of the cuckoo bird was a small blue car with a comical expression on its visage. That was the something that was familiar. But why?

Something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I hesitantly looked in that direction.

I saw...I saw...a mirror. Not in the corner of the room, but right there, right next to me like it was on the side of my face. I saw, in the mirror, what looked like the right side of the frame of a sedan. A purple sedan? That's weird. My favorite color is pur...ple...

I continued looking in the mirror. Apparently this sedan had a _lot_ of trunk space.

I was quite convinced.

I ask of you: if you had a big butt, what would you think you looked like...as a car?

This is insane. This is so insane. Yet so...like I knew something about this. That mirror? It was a rear-view mirror. I now have an idea as to where I am. I'm at a motel of some sort. Something about traffic cones. Something...

I wish I could remember! If I could then I wouldn't be so confused! I wish I could remember...I wish I could remember what my favorite movie was!

Wow. That sounded pathetic.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a voice outside...

**So? How did you like it? Please review. Thank you and drive home safely.**


	2. Meet Mater

**Contrary to what I have told Lmqcrazii95, I might not be able to update as much as I have liked. I can only update when both of my parents are out, because my dad thinks fanfiction is a chat room place (which it obviously isn't). With that out of the way, please read, hopefully enjoy, and review either way.**

**Chapter 2: Meet Mater**

"Hey!" cried a voice from outside, ensued by banging on the garage-type door. "Is you awake yet?" Think…who do I know has such a strong hillbilly accent? I can't think now. The impatient person, or should I say car, continued banging on the door. I was going to open the door, but then I realized that I didn't have thumbs.

And the door didn't have a doorknob anyway.

I saw a pair of buttons on the floor near my front right side. I pressed the one closest to me with my tire.

Yes, a tire.

No dice. This one turned on the lights in the room. The banging continued. I hastily pressed the next button. The garage door finally opened. I now noticed that the buttons were appropriately labeled.

"Yes, I'm awake," I explained to the rusty tow truck in front of me. (_Familiar alert!_) So he was the one banging on the door. "What do you want?"

"Well," he began, with his accented accent. "Doc told me to come wake you up in the morning to see if you was okay from what happened last night."

"What happened last night?" I couldn't remember anything short-term.

"I don't really know myself. Lightnin' and Miss Sally were out takin' a drive in Tailfin Pass when Lightnin' came back tellin' how there was this girl a-coshus by this tree. Then me and Doc went to see what the problem was. You was, just as Lightnin' had said, a-coshus by a tree. I towed you to Doc's place, he said you had some sorta hood injury and that you'd have short-term memory loss or sumthin' when you would wake up, and then I had to tow you to the Cozy Cone, and you've been here since then."

I blinked. It took a while for me to comprehend what he just said.

"Did you say that I was found unconscious by a tree, towed to the place of this Doc person, diagnosed with hood injuries, and towed back here?"

The tow truck nodded vigorously.

"And your name is…?"

"Mater!" he declared proudly. What an interesting (_Familiar alert!_) name…

Aha! I got short-term memory loss from those hood injuries! That's why I can't remember anything that happened recently. But that doesn't explain why I can't remember my favorite movie. Its release date was an entire year ago, wasn't it? Argh! It's not like it matters anyway. All this familiar alert stuff is probably just déjà vu.

_A lot _of déjà vu.

"Is you okay?" Mater asked, sounding worried.

"Wha--" I spaced out. "I'm fine. It's just…Where is this Miss Sally person anyway?"

"Her office is right there," Mater pointed out. Her "office" was just a small building not too far away. "Why do you want to know?"

"Thanks." I drove in the direction of the office, ignoring Mater's question.

**Do you think I did the Mater dialouge okay? Response would be appreciated. I thank you in advance.**


	3. Someone to Trust

**I'm sorry for not updating last week. I had a bit of writer's block. This is all I've come up with for now. After this chapter they'll most likely be, or start getting, longer. I just wanted to introduce Maria and her situation.**

**Chapter 3:**** Someone to Trust**

I peered into the window of Sally's office just to double-check if she was actually there.

She was in there alright…and there seemed to be someone else as well. I found an entrance and, well, entered.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" I asked. I noticed that the two figures where quite close together. They suddenly pulled away from each other.

They were kissing, weren't they?

I assumed that Sally was the light blue Porsche on my left. You could easily tell that this little blue coupe was female. The lightning bolt, '95', and sponsor stickers on the car to my right rang a bell, but I didn't know exactly who he was. He appeared flustered, if not embarrassed.

"I'll see you later Sal," he said to Sally, driving away. It was now that I noticed that his headlights were just stickers. Hmm…quite…familiar.

I turned to the Porsche in front of me. "You're Sally, right?"

"Mater told you?" she replied. It seemed more like a statement rather than a question. I didn't bother answering. "Okay, I need to know your name and age so that we can find your parents."

"Maria Nightingale, age 14." After spelling out my last name so she could write it down (A/N: **don't ask, please**) I decided to tell someone my background. "This might be hard to explain, but…I don't think I really belong here."

Sally gave me a questioning look.

"I mean of this world," I continued. "One day I'm just minding my own business, and the next I'm somewhere completely different with no recall of what happened the night before or of specific details of my personal life."

I obviously wasn't getting my point across.

"I feel like I know all of this, everyone here, as if from a dream. Yet—." I gave up. I don't know what else to say.

"I think I get what you're trying to tell me," she said. "But, I don't think it matters too much now. What matters now is that you're in a town called Radiator Springs, far from where your home is. You have to stop worrying yourself of what happened and be more focused on what will happen. I know you're concerned about your family and you miss them," her voice seemed to have a splash of sympathy here, but her tone changed quickly. "But no one stays in an alternate dimension forever." Sally smiled at me, and I smiled back. There's someone I knew I could trust.

"Thanks," I responded. I felt I should say something.

Then I felt a feeling that felt like an empty stomach. So many feelings.

"Is there anything to eat around here?" I asked.

"Right across the street is Flo's V8 Café. I'm sure she'll let you have something."

"Thanks again." I drove out.

Finally! Food!

Or some sort of equivalent…

**Stay tuned next Wednesday! Remember to review! Thank you!**


	4. Marcus Boards the Train

**Here is chapter 4! Enjoy! It's longer and goes down best with a cinnamon snickerdoodle.**

**Chapter 4: Marcus Boards the Train**

The gas pump had already stopped. Right now I was just watching the activity around Flo's V8 Café. A VW bus that appeared to be from the sixties, with his hippie designs, and an army jeep were bickering about something regarding…an overgrown lawn? What a pointless conversation. There were a few other customers, but I didn't care too much about them. What I found that was quite strange was the fact that the waitresses were two Mazda Miatas. Interesting. I've always wondered what happened to our own Miata after my parents sold it. Now I remember my parents saying that they once owned a Porsche. But I was too young to remember what it looked like. How coincidental. A car just entered the Café.

That's impossible.

No way.

It must have been his warm brown eyes that have told me, that have told me that this car was Marcus Charleston. The same Marcus Charleston who was in my Geometry class and whom I had a crush on! Ack! No! I mean…ugh…I'm at a loss for words…

Huh? Something was wrong. There was confusion in his eyes. Maybe he got here the same way I did.

He talked to Flo, the generous car who allowed me to get gas for free. They came up to me.

"Maybe you should come with us," Flo suggested.

I followed them wordlessly. We turned out of the café and headed down the road. We arrived at a building that I naturally assumed was a clinic. I wonder why she led us here.

Suddenly, a car opened the doors to the clinic. Another familiar alert occurred, telling me that he was a Hudson Hornet. Hmm...

"Doc," Flo began, "there's another one."

What does that mean?

"Flo, you go back to your Café." 'Doc' turned to us. "Follow me."

As Flo left, Marcus and I followed Doc into the clinic. Even though he was presently in the form of a S600 Mercedes-Benz, I still had a crush on him.

"Maria Nightingale," Doc began, parking in front of a computer. "I can't find your medical records anywhere. Care to explain?"

"Er…" I said. "Didn't Sally tell you?"

"Yes, but I'd rather hear it straight from the source."

"Sally's right. I don't really belong here."

"You feel the same way?" Marcus piped up, turning to me.

"Yes. Marcus, how did you get here?"

"I—wait, how did you know it was me?"

I was struck with a sudden block of shyness. This was unusual for me.

And awkward.

"I…just…you know…" It would sound stupid if I told him I saw his identity in his eyes. "Your voice…" That answer seemed to satisfy him.

As much as I like the guy, I still know him as a friend. I'm not one of those girls who isolates herself from her crush through shyness and giggles. You would never know if your crush liked you or not. If you're that curious, I find Marcus acts rather indifferent around me. It's hard to tell…

"Anyway," he continued. "I woke up right outside the sign that said 'Radiator Springs five miles'. I wa—or should I say drove, to the town and met Flo at her Café."

"I was unconscious when I got here. I woke up in a motel room."

Doc wore a face that showed that he was pondering.

"I may not know how you got here," Doc said. "And I don't know where you came from, but I do know one thing." Marcus and I leaned in to listen. "That I can't take you guys back." Marcus and I breathed a sigh of disappointment. "I'm sorry kids. You might have to stay here the rest of your life, or you might be gone by tomorrow morning. I'm a doctor, not someone who knows about supernatural stuff. Oh, and Maria, you might get hoodaches from whatever happened."

Just what I needed. At least Marcus, someone I remember, was here.

**I feel like there's a Star Trek reference somewhere in there...Oh well. That's what I get for being friends with a girl who who's a fan of a show I don't even watch...Anyway, review and tune in next Wednesday!**


	5. Old Friends

**If you've read Kristopher's Last Night?,** **yay for you. If** **you haven't yet, please do. If you did, but didn't review, what is your excuse?**

**Chapter 5: Old Friends**

"What do we do now?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know," I replied. Doc had just dismissed us, and we were just hanging around outside his clinic.

"I saw a drive-in theater when I found my way into town," Marcus reported.

"A drive-in theater? Those are only open after the sun sets."

"Oh yeah..."

Don't jump to conclusions. He is a really smart guy.

My eyes wandered to the somewhat busy street. Cars were going up and down the road, which seemed recently renovated. Three of the cars looked exactly like cars my parents had owned. Actually, one of them we still have.

"William! Kristopher! Derek!" They looked in my direction at the sound of my voice.

Remember how I said I would hear a voice around vehicles in the human world? I still respond.

William was a 1987 525i BMW. He's kind of like a light beige color. He's the car my parents still own.

Kristopher was his younger brother. He is of the same model as William, except he's the 1995 model. He was in an accident in the human world and the insurance company "wrote him off". (A/N: **Read ****Kristopher's Last Night?**** for more details.**) Kristopher and William look exactly alike, aside from their color.

Derek was a 500 SEL Mercedes-Benz, and the cousin of the above two. I don't think they make this model anymore, and I can't remember his year. He's gray and had the same fate as Kristopher. I haven't seen Derek in years.

I don't know what they're doing here, but it feels so good to see them again.

"Maria!" Derek exclaimed as he gave me what I naturally assumed was a hug. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Same here," I responded. I turned to Kristopher. "I thought you were sent to an impound lot."

"Yeah, well, a lot of weird things happen when you get seriously injured." I gave him a not-comprehending look. "Such as going to another place..."

What? I don't get it.

"Are you saying we're dead?" Marcus piped up.

I told you he was a smart guy.

Wait. What?

I turned to William desperately. He seemed unusually aloof and quiet. William's often the life of the party.

Hey...William was never in an accident. What's he doing here? I want to know the answer to that question.

"William?" I said sternly. He noticed the seriousness in my voice. Yet William remained quiet.

"Do you have something to do with our out-of-placeness?" Marcus said, much to my surprise. Dang, he was catching on fast.

Everyone stared at William expectantly.

**Sorry for stopping kind of short. This isn't the only thing I've typed today, and my imagination is sort of pooped (along with my fingers). Please review, and I may update early next week. Thank you.**


	6. The Problem

**Look! A new chapter! And it's not Wednesday yet! Woo hoo!**

**Although you all know that Cars belongs to no one here, in this chapter I included a specific idea from a specific video game. Specifically 'Sonic Rush' for Nintendo DS and the idea is specifically the merging of worlds idea.**

**Chapter 6: The Problem**

Everyone stared at William expectantly.

After a few awkward moments, he remained silent. He finally spilled the beans.

"I am responsible for their appearance here," William confessed.

"Why?" Marcus inquired.

"How?" I demanded.

"Maria, you know how I like to study things. Ancient Egypt, microscopic organisms," William hesitated, then continued, "Alternate universes..."

That was true. Where was he going with this?...

"Well, one day I heard thunder, on a day with blue skies. It was during a drought. I expected rain to come, but it never did. I pushed it to the back of my mind, thinking it would go away. But it kept on recurring. I decided to investigate. I read ancient myths mentioning eerie sounds occurring when two worlds would merge together. It said that the worlds would be drawn together by something belonging to one world being misplaced in the other. If the object was retrieved, then the merging would stop, things would return to normal. If not, the results would be cataclysmic. At first I thought that was just another myth, but there were so many like it, I just had to believe it. One of the myths included a kind of summoning to put the object back where it is supposed to be. But...I think I made a mistake in the summoning...which might be why you're here, and the thunder hasn't stopped."

Everyone was silent, digesting what William had just said. I had a feeling that William didn't make too much of a mistake in his "summoning". If I belong in this world, that would explain the "voices" I hear. The question was, did Marcus have the same "hearing"?

I told William what was on my mind, except for the part concerning Marcus.

William then analyzed that thought. "I think you're right Maria," he said thoughtfully.

I noticed Marcus hadn't said anything like "But what about me?" or "That doesn't explain why I'm here."

"Marcus–," I began. I looked around. No answer. He wasn't in sight. I turned to William. "You should stay in Radiator Springs and try to figure out exactly what you did wrong. Be sure to let me know when you do. Kristopher, Derek, you guys have to help him. I need to find Marcus.

* * *

After the passing of several hours of uneventful searching, except for the getting stuck in cacti, almost getting lost, and being chased by a giant combine, I returned to Flo's café, in desperate need of more fuel. I was exhausted and frustrated from the day. Just as I was being served, Marcus pulled into the café.

"Where were you?" I asked, sounding very irritated "I just spent half a day looking for you!" I paused. He appeared to be sullen and clouded by something...a memory maybe? I lightened my tone a bit and tried to be more gentle, despite my frustration. "I was concerned."

Marcus said nothing, yet he acknowledged my presence by looking at me with his deep brown eyes...

I turned away embarrassedly, for I started to feel myself blush. Those eyes of his looked better in the light of a sunset. Somehow I know that's going to serve as a weakness to me one day, if it already isn't.

**I'll tell you how reviewing makes everyone happy. The reviews make the author happy, so she makes sure that her story is updated before too much time passes by, which, in turn, makes the readers happy from the new chapter, which allows them to review more, thus a simple cycle ensues. Why aren't you part of this cycle? Go ahead, review. Thank you.**


	7. Evening Chat

**I believe the reason why no one has reviewed on the last chapter is because you didn't expect me to update before Wednesday, and that everyone was to busy eating and watching fireworks yesterday. I don't have to spend four days a week at a friend's house with her little brother and little cousins, so I can update more often. So...you might want to check for updates more often or put this story on your Story Alert list if you really like it like how xForeignxConceptsx did.**

**Chapter 7: Evening Chat**

Marcus and I said nothing more. I was too embarrassed to say anything more, and Marcus was probably too depressed about whatever he was thinking about.

When I was done, I left the Café and headed for the Cozy Cone. The sun had almost completely set, and, even though I was getting sleepy at this point, I just wanted to talk to Sally.

As I approached her office, which I learned from a sign was also the lobby, I saw that she was very busy. I guess I could easily understand why she was so busy. Radiator Springs seemed very busy itself. I feel that I should know, but I can't help but wonder if it was always like that.

"Can you spare a moment?" I asked as I entered the lobby.

"Huh?" Sally looked up from her paperwork. She seemed as if she was working for hours. "Oh, I was just finishing up here. I'm not that used to being swamped with paperwork."She paused shortly. "Or maybe I should be..."

"How come?" I asked curiously.

Sally seemed surprised that I actually cared. "Well," she began. "Ever since Lightning came, we've been really busy. Cars started driving on Route 66 again, and that meant more work for everyone. But it's a good thing."

"Although I was going to ask that next, I really mean to ask you how come you thought you should be used to being busy."

Now she seemed double surprised. "Oh, um, I was an attorney in Los Angeles. A very prestigious one at that. Everyone wanted me to be their lawyer. I earned a lot of money, but I was stressed out from being so busy."

"But how did you get here?"

"I was feeling really crummy, so I visited my doctor. He said that all of that pressure was bad for my health and suggested I should take a vacation. I did what he suggested, telling all my friends and family I would be gone for two weeks, packed up my things and left. Little did they know that they would never see or hear from me again."

"So you left? Just like that?"

"Yeah. I arrived at Radiator Springs, and everything was so peaceful and friendly here, I just had to stay. Besides, I always wanted it to be rediscovered. I got my wish. And more..."

I decided to not ask what she meant by "more". That seemed like a more personal issue that had something to deal with the lightning-themed racecar from this morning. (Hey! Maybe his name is Lightning!) "I'm sorry if I brought up any painful memories."

"It's okay. See, the more people you tell about something that troubles you, the better you feel." Silence. "What's troubling you?"

How could she–? Oh, well. "Today I met up with three old friends of mine, and it turns out that one of them is responsible for why myself and...a friend of mine have appeared here."

"Is this 'friend of yours' a boy you like?" Sally interpreted with a smile.

I answered with a blush of embarrassment.

"I think Flo's wisdom is rubbing off on me," she said with a laugh.

"Anyway," I restarted, trying to stop my face from giving off extra heat that I could feel. "While learning about our situation, Marcus, that 'boy', somehow slipped away. I was concerned, so I went to find him. I wasted the whole day looking for him, just to find him at Flo's Café. I noticed that he appeared depressed about something, but he doesn't seem to want to tell me." Sally was right. I do feel better.

"Hmm...he will in time. But before then, I can tell how tired you are and the cone you slept in last night was Cone number four."

"Thanks. Good night," I said, reversing to leave the lobby.

"I hope things become easier to understand for you in the near future."

**Please review. Reviews let me know that people like my story. If no one reviews, then I'll delete my story if no one's going to like it and look forward to updates. Anonymous reviews accepted. Thank you.**


	8. The Solution

**Since I forgot to mention this, and someone asked about it, Maria is a 2003 325i BMW. I think the vehicles that my parents owned have influenced me. And, another vehicle has left my family. I haven't mentioned this Dodge van, but Peter has been totaled in an accident that my father was in last week. I wasn't in it, so don't expect another oneshot. Though we did get a scare when the doctors thought my father got a broken sternum. False alarm, he's okay.**

**Chapter 8: The Solution**

I had a weird dream that night. When I woke up the next morning I didn't remember too much of it, but I had a feeling that it might have involved this "Lightning" Sally was talking about.

Luckily, I didn't awake to banging this morning. However, just as I opened the door, Derek was standing there, just as if he was about to start knocking on the door. Behind him, I saw Marcus drive away from the cone next to mine. He's been there all this time?

"Hey, Maria!" Derek called, from only a couple feet away.

I must have spaced out. I shook my...hood and turned to him.

"William says he thinks he knows what might have happened and how to get you two back," Derek stated quickly. "But you need to get to Flo's place in, like, now."

"What about–" I began, referring to Marcus.

"I already talked to him. He's going there now."

A few minutes later, and a few sips of oil for me, and the five of us eventually arrived at the Café. Marcus seemed less depressed today, and maybe even in a good mood. It was still in the morning, so Radiator Springs didn't seem as busy. I was very eager to hear what William had to say.

"Okay, here's the deal," William started, inhaling deeply. "I didn't have anything to do with how you got here." Several gasps were heard, and a "No way!" from Kristopher. William seemed to have reached a conclusion without the two, because Derek was just as surprised. "Yes, I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Are you sure?" Derek asked his cousin.

"Yes," William continued. "I can even explain the thunder I heard. That day I now remember that there was a storm cloud on one horizon that I didn't see at the moment, because it was hidden by a forest. I learned of it when I watched a weather station to see if the thunder was from a rain cloud. The station said that the storm cloud was far away from the area I lived in and would stay far away. Skies remained otherwise cloudless. However, sometimes the charged electrons in a cloud don't jump straight down to the positively charged ground below it. It goes diagonally, striking an area some ways away."

"But what about the thunder you said that didn't stop?" I asked.

William pointed behind me with a tire. I turned around and saw four cars pulling an old road paving machine. The cars reminded of gangsters, but here they were just street racers. A loud noise was heard, and the four were splattered with some black mess.

"Doc told me that's their fourth time pulling that thing, and he's concerned that 'Bessie' won't hold out," William said with a smirk. "Anyway, I know how to get you guys back. Quite simple really. Maria, you have to remember something, and Marcus needs to forget something."

"What?" Marcus said.

"You heard me," William stated.

"So I have to remember something," I began hesitantly, "and Marcus has to forget something?"

"Correct!" William said proudly.

"But what is it?" Marcus asked.

"I have no idea, but if you guys got here without outside help, you've bound to have lost, or gained something. Since you two look very normal to me, I naturally assumed it must have been something dealing with your minds. As in...your memory." William stopped there and drove away. Everyone stared at him as he left.

I can't believe it. I just have to remember what I forgot? That should be easy. I have to remember what my favorite movie is. That's the first thing that I noticed I forgot. Ha! Simple! Okay, now, what was it...?

I can't believe how hard this is. Must be harder for Marcus if he has to forget something. I wonder if it has something to do with why he was so depressed yesterday. Maybe I shouldn't ask him what it was. He would remember it and then never forget.

But what if he could get it off his mind if he did tell someone. Marcus could then not worry about what it was. That's a tough choice to make.

And what about me? How was I supposed to remember such a detail? Even if I did see it over ten times!

**I would like to thank the readers (especially those who reviewed) for liking my story and wanting more. I will try to get in one more chapter before I leave this Saturday to see my brother and attend his wedding. I'll be gone two weeks if I don't update before then. But I've gotten busy getting ready and finishing stuff that the school gave us to do over the summer so our brains don't rot, so...thanks for reviewing!**


	9. Clarification, Perhaps?

**I had a real hard time writing this one. That's why it took a while to get here. I didn't start it before I left. It's actually a bit short. I'm trying to think of what to write next before I lead you guys in for The End. Before you start, I believe I forgot to mention that Marcus is a grey blue color. I decided that about a month ago but kept forgetting to say so...**

**Chapter 9: Clarification, Perhaps?**

William started to drive away.

"Hold on," I said suddenly, causing him to stop in his tracks...suddenly. "How did you find out?"

"Hey," he replied, "I know a lot. Don't I?" William smiled at me and left.

A short silence ensued.

"Yup," Kristopher sighed, breaking the silence, "He's definitely lying about something."

"Or covering something up," I suggested. I believed he was right about how Marcus and I could get out. Yet, William was obviously trying to hide something. How could he have suddenly changed conclusions?

"Okay, all of this is really starting to confuse me. Can someone please clarify?" Marcus said.

"Apparently, according to William, you guys got here some weird way and you have," he turned to me, " to remember or," now to Marcus, "forget something," Derek answered.

"But how _did_ we get here?" Marcus questioned further.

"Marcus," I said with a sad look on my face. "We don't know anything about that. William didn't say." Again, our eyes connected, but I didn't look away this time.

"They like each other," Kristopher whispered to Derek. I turned suddenly to glare at him. Kristopher obviously didn't mean for me to hear that, because when he noticed my icy stare he smiled nervously. "Oh, look I have...stuff to do," he said out loud. "Bye!" He sped away.

Derek just stood there for a little while. "Uh...I think I'll go now, too." He drove off, but not as quickly as Kristopher did.

Marcus and I were left alone. I could feel my face grow hot from embarrassment at Kristopher's...how should I put this...observation? That sounds about right.

Hmm...does that mean...?

I stole a glance at Marcus, not wanting him to see me blushing like this. He seemed curious as to why Kristopher and Derek left so suddenly.

"Maria," he began. I already knew what question he was about to ask. "What just...?" For some reason he stopped in mid-question, maybe realizing the answer to his question.

We spent the next few minutes in awkward silence as customers began to flow into Radiator Springs at a greater frequency.

"So..." he ventured, apparently wanting to break the silence, "What should we do now?"

"What? About trying to get out of here?" I replied, giving a question as an answer.

"Yeah."

I sighed. "I have no clue."

"I thought you'd say that."

Since the silence we didn't look at each other. The air was still awkward.

"Somehow," Marcus continued. "I remembered something, you forgot something, and, poof! Ooh, look, we're in some new place where cars are people!"

I couldn't help but chuckle when he said that. I didn't realize it then, but, looking back, I believe I shuddered slightly when he said the word "cars". When I looked up at him, I realized he was staring at me with a distant, dreamy smile. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Wha–?" He came back to reality. "Oh, nothing, sorry..." He looked down at his tires.

Based on behavior patterns I've noticed before, Marcus is normally shy and withdrawn from some social activities, such as dances.

I laughed softly and said, with a smile, "Silly."

He looked up at me and returned the smile.

**There's song I know that I have no idea what the title is. The lyrics are something like: "People are talkin', talkin' 'bout people." Something, something... "They think we're lovers!" Some other verse... "We stand just a little too close...Laugh just a little too loud...Stare just a little too long..." Uh... "Could you be fallin' for me?" And then... "Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about..." That's in the chorus...might be the title. Seems a little appropiate in this situation...And the staring thing mentioned in the chapter above happened to me on my Network bus...The second grader who noticed, however, actually wanted us to hear. In fact, the comment was directed at us...("You guys like each other.")**

**Thanks for your reviews!**


	10. Memory Jog

**Wow, wasn't last chapter a little short?...And put up a long time ago...Well, school started back this week, so I might update on early Saturday mornings for a while. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Memory Jog**

A loud noise from behind us sounded again, making both of us jump. It was now that I realized that the four street racers who were pulling Bessie were widening the road, possibly due to all the traffic.

"I wonder what they did to have to deserve that?" Marcus thought aloud.

I was going to reply but something _weird_ happened. I was suddenly showered in a rush of images, voices, faces, sounds, even a few smells. My senses were overwhelmed, yet it was almost refreshing, but almost as soon as it started, I picked out four names involuntarily, and then it ended without warning.

In response to the experience, my entire body lurched forward, knocking over the oilcan I was drinking from.

"Their names are Boost, Wingo, DJ, and Snot Rod," I blurted out. "They got busted for speeding and 'disturbance of the peace' multiple times." When I was done speaking, a terrible pain throbbed from beneath my hood. I've never had a migraine before, but I assumed this was one. I grimaced from the pain.

"What? How did you know that?" Marcus asked bewilderedly.

"I don't know! It all happened quickly, with the rushing, and the shower, and the senses..." I trailed off, this migraine was getting unbearable. "Ow..." I groaned loudly, feeling my consciousness slipping.

"Maria!" I heard Marcus cry out in alarm.

* * *

I woke up in a sterile environment that I recognized to be Doc's clinic. It's just like a human doctor's office, smell of antiseptic and all. I moaned softly.

Doc stopped whatever he was doing and turned his attention to me. "Good, your awake," he said.

"What?" I murmured, barely audible, even to myself.

"You've been out of it for hours. Marcus sort of freaked out when you passed out, but he helped Mater tow you in here."

"Really? Where is he now?"

"He was here for a little less than hour, just watching you sleep. I told him that he couldn't stay for too long, so he left, rather reluctantly. That was around lunchtime." Doc paused before continuing. "He really seems to be worried about you." After a few moments, Doc went back to his work.

I stared at the tiles on the floor and smiled to myself. Maybe Kristopher was right about Marcus and I. I liked him and...he liked me.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Doc said to me. "He also recognized that you were in pain of some sort. I decided not to give you a pain killer then, to be wary of any possible allergies. Do you think you might need it?"

I realized that the migraine was reduced to a dull pain now, hours after it's peak. "Probably not."

"Well then, I'm sure you can go now. If there's any more problems just come back here."

"Thanks, Doc." I nodded, then headed outside.

**Expect about...three more chapters, and then it's over. I'm usually very wordy, but for some reason I can't get my chapters to be the length I want them to be, with the exception of one or two...Thanks for reviewing!**


	11. Been Worried Sick

**I would've reviewed earlier, but no one reviewed! I think I promised someone in a review reply thatI wouldn't delete this story, but...come on guys! I've been worried sick too!**

**Chapter 11: Been Worried Sick**

Even though I was passed out all day, I still felt sleepy. Or maybe it was more of a tired feeling...Either way I wanted to go to sleep. As I passed the Cozy Cone lobby, I noticed Sally was just leaving. She saw me and called me over.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

I nodded.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded again, more vigorously this time to prove that I was sure.

"Because everyone in the whole town has been worried sick about you. Especially Marcus."

That right there was undeniable proof of his concern. I have known him for about two years, but I've never seen, or heard, him be so...so...anxious about something– no!– someone, in this way. It's like what happened today drove him crazy.

"You should be sure to tell him so," Sally said, knocking me out of my thoughts. She thought for half a second before saying any more. "And ask him for a drive," she continued with a smile.

"A who now?" I inquired.

Sally chuckled to herself at my ignorance. "Kind of like a date. I'm pretty sure there's something he needs to get off his hood...and it can't wait until you two get out of here."

I held an expression of mixed emotions. Mainly confusion, embarrassment, and deep thought.

Starting to drive away, Sally added, "I suggest you two drive up to the Wheel Well. It's very peaceful up there." And with that, she left me to sit in my own thoughts.

After a moment or two, I then realized that a drive might be the equivalent of a walk, as humans do. That makes sense. I started to head over to my cone, but then I realized I needed to talk to Marcus, or else he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. I was just about to knock on the door to his cone when I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"Um...Maria?"

Turning around, I realized it was Marcus. I smiled at him.

"I'm right here," he told me, raising a front tire as if to raise a hand. He returned the smile.

"How come you're not..." I began, trailing off.

"Just was taking a little walk, or drive, to clear my mind." He looked at the ground shyly.

I could feel the air between us growing awkward.

"I...I just came by to tell you that I'm okay. I heard that you were really worried about me, and I thought you might not get any sleep if you didn't know if I was..." I trailed off again. The awkwardness was suffocating. I, too, began to stare at the ground.

"Thanks," he stated simply. "I really was worried." He started to drive towards the cone, but I stopped him.

"Hey," I said, mustering up my courage. "Maybe we should...take a drive tomorrow..."

He looked up at me in confusion.

"You know, like the 'drive' you just took."

"Oh, yeah. I'd love to." He smiled at me again. "Good night." I let him enter his cone.

"Good night," I said back to him, before he could close the door.

**Don't ever think reviews are unappreciated. In fact, they're loved!**


	12. What Can I Not Understand?

**Ack! I haven't been able to update in forever! 8th grade teachers give too much homework!**

**Chapter 12: "What Can I Not Understand?"**

Something woke me up in the middle of the night. I didn't know what, but my eyes just flew open. Not knowing what it might be, I looked through the window in the door cautiously.

William?

He was outside, pacing. He seemed frustrated about something. I could tell he was muttering something to himself, but I couldn't hear from inside my cone.

I exited my cone and rolled up quietly behind him.

"William."

"AHH!" he screamed. He turned around so quickly, I flinched. "Maria! Don't ever do that!"

I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked me.

"The question goes the same for you," I replied firmly.

William sighed. "I just came out here to get some fresh air, that's all." His eyes fell to the ground beside me. I frowned.

"William, I can tell something is bothering you."

"I don't think it's best if I tell you." He began backing up to leave. I stopped him by moving forward.

"Even though we've been friends for, like, ever?"

William hesitated before speaking. His eyes met mine this time. "True, but you wouldn't understand if I told you." He backed up to leave again, but I didn't stop him. What was bothering him?

The next morning I woke up in a good mood, but it died when I remembered what William had told me the night before.

"_You wouldn't understand if I told you._"

I moved slowly on the way to Flo's for breakfast, thinking about why William would say such a thing. I didn't feel hungry, but I knew everyone else would be there.

When I got there, Derek and Kristopher were arguing. William was absent.

"What are they arguing about?" I asked Marcus.

"Whether William is suspicious about suddenly knowing how we got here and how we could get back if he had a different hypothesis, or something."

I was about to join in the argument, but William arrived, causing everyone to stop talking. Kristopher had started a sentence before William came, but the words shriveled up and died in his throat. His mouth was hanging open, with a soft croaking sound coming out of it. I would have laughed, but the current situation was serious.

William took one look at Kristopher and said, "What?"

Kristopher shut his mouth and stared intently at the ground, as if he was trying to burn holes into the concrete.

William parked next to one of the gas pumps, and after one of the waitresses took his order he turned to everyone else again. Kristopher was still burning holes in the ground, and Derek just sipped at his oil. Marcus and I exchanged looks of worry.

Marcus gathered enough courage to break the silence. "Everyone sort of thinks that you're suspicious."

"Of what?" William inquired.

"Of putting Maria and I here," Marcus answered.

"We don't belong here, William," I joined in.

William chuckled nervously. "What would make you think that?"

I moved forward. "What did you not want to tell me last night?"

Everyone had their eyes on me, even Kristopher. I think the ground he was staring at weakened. Then they turned to William. He had a hurt look on his face.

I softened my stare. I wanted my friend to tell me. "What can I not understand?"

**Yes, the chapter ends here. There's just one more! Do you think you can wait? Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!**


	13. It's The Final Chapter!

**Whoo! Thank you everyone for rreading this story 'til the end!**

**Chapter 13: It's the Final Chapter!**

I softened my stare. I wanted my friend to tell me. "What can I not understand?"

William's eyes fell to the ground. He bit his lip, a nervous habit of his. There was something he would prefer not to have to share.

After a long silence, he took a deep breath."Nothing. There is nothing you can't understand."

I opened my mouth to say that "This nothing seemed to be something," but William wasn't finished.

"So I'll tell," he continued. William was still looking at the ground, but I could tell his eyes weren't focusing at the ground like how Kristopher was just doing so."I really missed my brother after he passed away. I wanted to see him again. I had a dream about this place. A place where there were no humans. I wanted to know how to get here, and bring all of my good friends." William paused. "The dream asked me if I wanted to come here. I said yes. The dream also said that I could only bring four friends. No more, no less. To substitute for the 'fourth friend', I asked just to bring whoever Maria would like to come with. Whoever she liked the most."

I darted my eyes quickly to Marcus. He smiled softly to himself, why exactly, I am still unsure of.

"Wait, I'm confused!" Kristopher exclaimed. "You missed me? And a dream of yours caused us all to get here?"

William looked up at his little brother. "That's why I didn't want to tell anyone," William explained. "No one would believe me. It's too...unbelievable."

"That's really touching, William, but we need to get back home," I stressed. "How do we get back home?"

"When you're ready."

Was I ready to go back home? Here I learned that Marcus liked me back. I was looking forward to that drive. Here I was able to see Derek and Kristopher again. I haven't been able to truly spend much time with them. Knowing that I could stay here for as long as I wanted to, here was better than home.

But what if I had been missing in my own world for the same amount of time I had been here? My parents would be worried sick about the whereabouts of their only child. Along with Mr. and Mrs. Charleston worrying about their son. We could not have stayed.

I glanced at Marcus. Staring into his dark chocolate eyes, we reached a decision without saying anything.

"We need to go back," I told William.

"Then I'll come back with you," he said with a sad smile.

After an exchange of hugs and goodbyes, William, Marcus, and I decided that we should leave right then to eliminate any chances of worry from our loved ones. William explained that Derek and Kristopher would probably remain in that world, until they die (again), hopefully from old age.

I just remembered something!

"William, what about the thing I forgot?" I questioned. "I still didn't remember it!"

"An I still didn't forget my memory," Marcus realized.

An expression of confusion fleeted across William's face. "You really forgot something? I actually made that up...Try remembering it, Maria. Marcus, try forgetting it. Maybe that's how we _really _get back."

In an effort to remember, I cleared my mind, instead of straining to recall my favorite movie. But then, things started to make sense to me. Friends who are cars. Knowing the names of cars here I've never met before. Feeling that I knew something more of this place...

Yes! My favorite movie! What other movie would be my favorite than one about characters similar to some of my best friends for years?

As the name came up fresh in mind, I noticed that my eyes were closed. I opened them slowly, expecting to see myself human again. However, I was still here. Derek and Kristopher were still in front of me, and William was still to my right. I looked to my left, where Marcus was parked, his eyes closed as well. Suddenly, I felt as if I lost half of my weight. Due to Derek's look of surprise and Kristopher's gaping mouth, I assumed we were starting to disappear.

The next thing I remember, I felt a total weightlessness. All connections of myself to this world snapped like a piece of twine attempting to hold up a brick Nothing was there for my senses to interpret, and I had no idea where I was or for how long.

**Wait! There's more! An epilouge! Yay!**


	14. Epilogue

**Before you read this, make sure you've read the thirteenth chapter. Also, in the epilogue, there may be something about Maria addressed in the first chapter that you might have forgotten.**

**This was written in present tense on purpose.**

**Epilogue**

As I regain consciousness I don't know who I am. However, this passes quickly as I realize that I'm on the bus from school, and it's almost my stop.

But I realize something else. My head is on someone's shoulder, and they're gently shaking me to awaken.

"Maria," they call. "Maria, it's almost your stop!"

My eyes fly open and I'm awake immediately. I stare at the owner of the shoulder I had been using as a pillow.

"M-Marcus!" I stutter. "I'm sorry, I d-don't know what I was..." My voice trails off as I gather my things.

He smiles softly at me and says calmly, "It's okay, I was asleep, too. Since we couldn't go on that drive, do you think maybe we could catch a movie this Saturday?" He looks at me hopefully.

Everything that happened was real.

I clear my brown hair from my eyes and smile back, my books in my arms. "Sure."

_Looks like someone got themselves a date,_ Jake, the school bus, says to me as I step off the bus.

_Shut up, _I reply.

**That's it! Review please, and I'll think about writing a sequel sometime by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. I'll write it first before I post it, so I can update more consistently.**


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